Man in his 30s dies in Israeli marathon race

Published: March 15, 2013 6:20AM

JERUSALEM (AP) -- An Israeli medical official says a man in his 30s has died of a heat stroke suffered just after finishing a Tel Aviv marathon race.

Rescue services spokesman Zaki Heller says the runner collapsed and was rushed to a hospital, but medics were unable to resuscitate him. The race was run in 32 degrees Celsius (90 degrees Fahrenheit) heat.

Heller says four other runners who collapsed from the heat have been put in a medically induced comas and are on respirators at a Tel Aviv hospital. He says medics have treated more than 50 runners at the race.

Race organizers last week postponed the full marathon (42 kilometer) race initially scheduled for Friday in anticipation of a forecast heat wave. But organizers allowed the half-marathon (21 kilometer) race to proceed.